Project Number: 1265-22000-164-02
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jul 01, 2004
End Date: Jun 30, 2009

Objective:
Determine fundamental ecological processes that contribute to successful weed management on organic farms. Determine the mechanisms driving weed seedbank pool size in organic production systems. Determine traits of agronomic crops that contribute to their capability of competing with weeds.

Approach:
Determine various weed population parameters including seedbank density, seed survival, seedling recruitment, biomass, and seed production on organic farms. Analyze weed population changes from archived soil samples and historic weed data collected at the Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial. Relate weed population data to important ecological parameters such as soil physical and biological properties, predator populations, landscape vegetation, etc. and determine functional relationships where possible. Conduct detailed studies of mechanisms that enhance crop competitiveness against weeds in crop cultivar evaluations at Penn State and at Rodale Institute.